Town Eyes Fdic Land For Recreation

EAST GRANBY — A 480-acre tract off North Main Street, owned by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., would be a perfect fit as a town-owned recreation area, First Selectman David Kilbon said.

The town needs to set aside areas for recreation facilities, and the land would give it lots of room with which to work, Kilbon said.

``Like every town in the valley, we realize we need more fields,'' he said.

The town's recreational options now include: Granbrook Park, off Route 189, which has baseball fields, a tennis court, picnic area and playground; Cowles Park, a primarily wooded area with hiking trails; a Little League field adjacent to the town library; and athletic fields at the town's four schools, used for school teams and summer soccer leagues.

Kilbon said the town could use more options. Between 40 and 50 acres of the land on the North Main Street plot is suitable for athletic fields, he said. The rest, steeply sloped with some wetlands, could become hiking trails and a nature reserve.

Formerly farmland, the parcel contains two houses and a barn and is now primarily open fields extending up to the Metacomet Trail. If the town can acquire the land, it could provide access to trail.

The land was purchased by developers at some point but fell into foreclosure several years ago; neither Kilbon nor FDIC officials could provide an exact date of foreclosure Friday.

Alan Friedman of the FDIC confirmed that he is talking to Kilbon about a possible sale but said little else. With negotiations still pending, neither side would discuss how much they think the land is worth.

The town will begin negotiating with the FDIC over the price, Kilbon said, adding that he would know by fall whether they can reach an agreement. The acquisition requires review by the boards of selectmen and finance, as well as action by voters at a town meeting.